Council Leader Heads Back To School

Swansea Council’s Leader has been back to the site of his old school to see how a multi-million new primary is taking shape there. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Rob Stewart visited Llansamlet where £9.8 million is being invested in Welsh Medium education to develop a state-of-the art new school housing 21st century teaching facilities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Back in the early 1980s he attended the old school when it housed Llansamlet Junior Comprehensive and provided education for 11 to 13 or 14 year olds before they went on to Morriston Comprehensive. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The buildings later became home to YGG Lôn Las Welsh Medium Primary before being demolished earlier this year to make way for a state-of-the-art new school better laid out and equipped for modern teaching and learning needs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He said: “I had a great time at Llansamlet Junior Comprehensive. I have really happy memories of my years there. I liked the school and the teachers especially my form teacher Mrs Wheeler who got me interested in science. I also made a number of lifelong friends. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“When I think back, the old draughty class rooms and mix of old and really old buildings were probably far from ideal for education and that was 30 years ago. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I don’t remember being bothered by it or by having to move in the rain between the different buildings on all different levels, in fact it seemed quite fun. If I remember we also had outside toilets at the school too which were not nice. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Now I realise it must have created a real headache for the teachers and I can imagine even more so when it became a primary school.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He added: “The new school will without doubt be fantastic for teachers and pupils alike – I wish I could have been taught somewhere like it. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“When it’s finished next year the classrooms will be on a single level, many with ensuite toilets, and they will all be designed around modern learning needs, have natural light flooding in and direct access to outside space. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I enjoyed visiting the site with pupils from Lôn Las school council who were full of enthusiasm and excitement at seeing the new school taking shape.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Pupil Osian Jones, aged 10, said: “The new school looks like heaven when you think of the old school. The plans look really good. They are planning it around what we need.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Megan Jones, aged 11, said: “I am amazed at how much work has been done already. The old school is completely gone, they have made the site just two levels and an enormous concrete wall has gone up in just 9 weeks.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Lôn Las project is funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government as part of a 21st Century Schools programme upgrading school facilities across the city to help improve education and boost pupil attainment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Lôn Las scheme is also one of the ways the Council is investing in and meeting demand for Welsh Medium Education. It will house around 500 pupils when complete in around September 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​